Certainly if the scientists on the Oversight committee learned of the time travel, it would never remain a secret. The discovery would be too valuable for a committee of scientists to ignore. Wayne Nystrom had discovered MC Governor’s development of time travel on his own, before Hunter had learned of it. Hunter could not do anything about that.
“Hunter, city computer calling. The Governor Robot Oversight Committee is ready for your conference call.”
“Thank you. Please connect me.”
As before, the faces of the four committee members appeared on Hunter’s internal video screen in split portrait shots from their various locations. Everyone exchanged greetings. Then Hunter began his report.
“The first five component robots are in custody and merged,” said Hunter.
“That’s great,” said Dr. Redfield, the tall blonde. “I suppose this has been an easy assignment for you. You began less than two weeks ago.”
“I must repeat once again that past success does not predict the difficulty of the final mission,” said Hunter. “As always, I cannot promise that the remainder of my work will be completed within a similar period of time.”
“Where did this mission take place?” Dr. Chin asked. “Previously, you have reported quite a wide range of locations around the world.”
“In northern China,” said Hunter. “On the border of Mongolia.” He remained deliberately vague in his reports. So far, his reserve had forestalled persistent questioning from the committee members.
“Northern China.” Professor Post nodded, idly stroking his black beard for a moment. “Well, that’s interesting. Do you have a lead on MC 6?”
“I must investigate the British Isles,” said Hunter. “This is preliminary information.”
“Which one?” Dr. Chin asked.
“I shall begin in England. On previous missions, a certain amount of travel has been involved.”
“Wait a minute,” said Dr. Chin. “Haven’t you heard about the big explosion? Won’t that interfere with your search?”
“I will take it into account as I make my plans,” said Hunter.
“Do you think MC 6 may have been destroyed in the explosion?” Professor Post asked calmly.
“It is an inescapable consideration,” said Hunter. “However, I can only proceed and find what i may.”
“I am not surprised,” said Dr. Khanna, in his Hindi accent. “However, your work has been completed very quickly to date. We are all impressed.”
“I must repeat that I can make no guarantee of my schedule to come,” said Hunter.
“Yes, I heard you the first time,” said Dr. Khanna, with a trace of annoyance in his tone. “You repeat that warning in every report. However, you continue to complete each mission in the same length of time. What would make this final mission any different?”
“The explosion, and its after-effects,” said Dr. Redfield. “He may have a harder time now.”
“My original point remains valid,” said Hunter. “I have no prediction about the challenges that my team will face. Anything can happen.” Hunter realized that he had made a mistake. Before, he had never told the committee members that he was going to an area where a nuclear explosion had occurred.
“We note your caution,” said Dr. Chin. “And as always, we wish you good luck.”
“That will be fine, Hunter,” said Dr. Redfield. “I suggest we allow you to get to work.”
“Thank you,” said Hunter. “I am ready to begin. Do you have any final questions?”
No one did.
“Good luck,” said Dr. Chin.
“Thank you. Good-bye.” Hunter broke the connection and turned to Steve, speaking aloud. “Report completed.”
“Good!” Steve glanced impatiently at the closed door of the office. “So where’s our historian?”
“I expect her at any time.”
“All right, all right. What do we do in the meantime? Do we know what MC 6’s specialty was, within MC Governor’s responsibilities? Jane always seemed to think that was important.”
“I have that information,” said Hunter. “The data the committee originally gave me about MC Governor provides the original divisions of expertise among the gestalt robots. Since Jane correctly identified the specialties of the first five component robots, I know by process of elimination that MC 6 is the portion of MC Governor that specialized in maintaining social stability among humans.”
“Yeah? What does that mean, exactly?”
“In Mojave Center, that meant keeping track of various human needs, not only for survival and protection from harm, but for emotional satisfaction: leisure pursuits, choices of education and career, and career organization to encourage challenges and accomplishments.”
“Okay. But Jane also used to guess that a component robot’s choice of where to hide related to his specialty in Mojave Center.”
“Yes, I remember. Using the same sort of logic Jane expressed prior to earlier missions, I surmise that MC 6 therefore deliberately fled with the question of social instability in mind. However, England is an unusual case; since 1066, it has had a relatively high degree of stability for an Old World nation, despite some occasional turbulence. However, I calculate that MC 6 will return to his full human size from miniaturization in the late fifth century, in a time of extreme social turmoil and political instability. Since he did not plan that, the timing is ironic, to say the least.”
Steve started to answer. When he heard footsteps approaching the office, he stopped and glanced at Hunter, who nodded. Steve opened the door.
“Oh-you startled me.” Harriet smiled and came in as Steve stepped back. She was tall and slender, about forty years old, with short, wavy brown hair.
Hunter introduced them. “Harriet specializes in late Roman and post-Roman Britain.”
“I love the period,” Harriet said cheerfully. “And I’ve had my dinner and my vaccinations, as you instructed. What comes next?”
“Have you both successfully taken your sleep courses in ancient British and Latin?” Hunter asked.
“Yes,” said Harriet. “I was familiar with both languages, but the course will help me speak them.”
“I took the British, too,” said Steve. “And I updated the Latin from our third mission because Hunter said it had changed some in the centuries that had passed. But what is this British language, anyhow? Did it turn into English later?”
“Not really,” said Harriet. “It’s the language that was spoken in Britain before the Romans arrived, and it coexisted with Latin during their occupation. It later evolved into Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. But what we call English was based originally on Anglo-Saxon and Norman French.”
“But we’ll still need the Latin this time, too?” Steve asked.
“We’ll find a lot of Latin in the time we’re visiting,” said Harriet. “But it doesn’t stay for many more years. Except for some monasteries and place names, Latin disappears and then reenters English again much later.”
“Oh. Shows what I know about it.” Steve turned to Hunter. “Have you told Harriet about Wayne and Ishihara? How they’re trying to beat us to MC 6 and why?”
“Yes, he has,” said Harriet. “He also told me that they kidnapped your friend Jane on your last mission. I’m sure you’re worried about her.”
“Well, yeah. That’s true.” Steve looked at Hunter. “Can we go yet?”
“We will go to the Bohung Institute. The Security vehicle is waiting outside.”
“Good.”
Hunter drove them through the calm, clean streets of the underground city. Steve sat next to Harriet, too tense to speak. The electric motor of the vehicle hummed softly as they drove by humans and robots on their daily routines who were unaware that the secret of time travel, with all its potential danger to change history, lay in their midst.
Before the first mission, Hunter had closed the Bohung Institute. He had arranged for a detail of Security robots to guard it. They allowed his team inside, of course, and they walked to Room F-12.